Roses & Thorns

Roses & Thorns
Showing posts with label Female Amateur Sleuth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Female Amateur Sleuth. Show all posts

Sunday, June 18, 2017

Chase Me by Sharon Kleve @SharonKleve #CozyMystery #RomanticSuspense #Friendship



The Plot:

Sage McGuire had a great job she loved. All that changed in the blink of an eye when her long-time boss, Mr. Smithfield, had an accident involving an over-sized rubber band. When Mr. Smithfield’s semi-worthless son, Daniel, takes over Smithfield Laboratories Sage figures it’s time to turn her childhood dream of being a PI into reality.

After a night of unadulterated, mind-blowing sex Sage mistakes Sergeant Carter Morgan of the Portland Police Department for a serial killer and runs for the hills, but his sexy pinecone scent and black leather pants have her coming back for more.

Sage’s wild spirit, crazy red hair, and quirky sense of humor take Carter for the ride of his life and he’s more than willing to stick around and see what kind of trouble Sage can get herself into next.

About the Author:

Sharon Kleve was born and raised in Washington and currently lives on the Olympic Peninsula with her husband.

Sharon is a multi-published author of contemporary romance. She loves romance. She loves reading romance, living romance, and especially loves writing about romance. She gets no greater feeling than watching her characters come alive in each other’s arms. Most of all, she loves giving her characters the happily ever after they deserve—with a few bumps and bruises along the way.

One of her favorite things to do is pick up a new book and sink into the story, immersing herself in the emotions between the characters. She hopes to inspire her readers the same way her favorite authors have inspired her.

When not writing, she can usually be found either curled up in her recliner with her cat and a good book, or in the kitchen baking sourdough bread or bagels.

Review:

Sage McGuire is good at her job. As the administrative assistant to Mr. Smithfield of Smithfield Laboratories, she pretty much runs the place. (Show me a boss who can cope without his admin, and I’ll try to wrest my first-born from her husband and give her to you.) It’s a good thing Sage is competent, because Daniel Smithfield, the boss’ son, clearly isn’t. Actually, I found some of his naiveté to be a bit of a stretch. While the scene in which Daniel goes dumpster-diving in search of his e-mail was funny, it was hard to believe anyone could grow up in the late twentieth/early twenty-first century and not know what e-mail is, or how to work a smart phone—no matter how short his dad kept the leash. I can certainly understand Sage wanting to work for herself instead of spoon-feeding an overgrown baby.

About Sage becoming a private investigator. It kind of doesn’t help that Sage is somewhat of a klutz. At least it doesn’t help her career. It makes the book hilarious, as she blunders her way into the life of a narcotics detective, and “helps” him solve a big case. Well, okay, she does play a fairly large role in solving the case, but she didn’t exactly plan to. If I say much more, I might spoil it for you. Just go get Chase Me. Take Daniel Smithfield’s helplessness with a grain of salt. (How does one get an MBA without understanding what e-mail is?) And just enjoy the exploits of Sage and her friends Bridget and Ophelia, not to mention the heat between Sage and Carter.

Warnings:
Length: 168 Pages
Prices:
Print: $7.50
Digital: $1.99

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Wednesday, March 29, 2017

House of Silence by Sarah Barthel #Historical #Suspense #HxlPsychiatricAssylum



The Plot:

Oak Park, Illinois, 1875. Isabelle Larkin’s future—like that of every young woman—hinges upon her choice of husband. She delights her mother by becoming engaged to Gregory Gallagher, who is charismatic, politically ambitious, and publicly devoted. But Isabelle’s visions of a happy, profitable match come to a halt when she witnesses her fiancé commit a horrific crime—and no one believes her.

Gregory denies all, and Isabelle’s mother insists she marry as planned rather than drag them into scandal. Fearing for her life, Isabelle can think of only one escape: she feigns a mental breakdown that renders her mute, and is brought to Bellevue sanitarium. There she finds a friend in fellow patient Mary Todd Lincoln, committed after her husband’s assassination.

In this unlikely refuge, the women become allies, even as Isabelle maintains a veneer of madness for her own protection. But sooner or later, she must reclaim her voice. And if she uses it to expose the truth, Isabelle risks far more than she could ever imagine.

Weaving together a thread of finely-tuned suspense with a fascinating setting and real-life figures, Sarah Barthel’s debut is historical fiction at its most evocative and compelling.

About the Author:

Sarah Barthel is an historical fiction author, specializing in untold stories in America’s past.

Review:

Having been born, raised, and spent most of my life in Illinois, I’m fascinated by Abraham Lincoln and his family, so I jumped on House of Silence when I saw it on Net Galley. However, I was mildly disappointed in the first chapter when Isabelle Larkin, the heroine, was proud of the way her dress “popped.” Dresses did not “pop” in 1875. That expression wasn’t coined until this century, or maybe the end of the last one. Such anomalies are the reason I shy away from historical fiction.

Fortunately, Ms. Barthel managed to stay in the era through the rest of the book without too many more glitches, and her dilemma pulled me in and kept me reading. Even before Gregory Gallagher commits the crime that causes Isabelle to seek refuge in an insane asylum (and considering the state of mental health treatment in 1875, you know she has to be desperate!), he’s controlling and abusive toward her—definitely not the kind of man I’d want my daughter to marry. But Isabelle’s mother is equally desperate to acquire the money and stature she thinks marriage to the up-and-coming politician will bring. How can Isabelle accuse him of such heinous behavior? He’s their savior from poverty—their ability to remain in society and even climb higher. But Isabelle knows he has a secret. One he’s willing to kill to keep buried. And she’s afraid he’ll kill her.

House of Silence held my attention, and I do recommend reading it.

Warnings:  Violence
Length: 300 Pages
Prices:
Print:  $15.00
Digital:  $9.99

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